Author Archives: Hearne Christopher Jr.
Hearne: Fixing Kemper Arena No Laughing Matter
Kansas City Star features writer Tim Engle is a great guy – charming, personable, quick witted – self-effacing and honest even… The flip side of all that good stuff: He’s no pit bull. Far from it, in fact. It’s just … Continue reading
Hearne: Leadership Void @ 18th & Grand Results in Poor News Quality
These are desperate times for newspapers… And while I seem to be in a minority when it comes to optimism about their survival, that has zero to do with critiquing the current product, which most people seem to agree somewhat sucks. That’s … Continue reading
Hearne: Does Royals’ Success Spell Doom for T-Bones
Speaking of sports… Anybody out there remember the Kansas City T-Bones? You know, the “professional baseball team” that migrated here in 2003 from Duluth, Minnesota to take advantage of the fact that locals were willing to pay good money to watch bad … Continue reading
Hearne: News Talker KMBZ FM Slip Sliding Away
Another big red flag in April’s radio ratings, the fall of KMBZ 98.1 FM… The news talk station that broke out on its own earlier this year fell to the equivalent of 17th place in April’s ratings, behind 16 other … Continue reading
Hearne: KCKC FM (Finally) Awakens, as Mix 93.3 & Point Slip
Let’s take a closer look at April’s radio ratings, shall we? For starters, two things stand out; the drop in ratings by a full share point for more for Entercom’s The Point and Steel City Media‘s Mix 93.3 FM. Coupled … Continue reading
Hearne: Play Ball! 610 Sports Mops Up the Floor with WHB
Sunny side up, please… The ratings for Entercom’s 610 Sports have exploded, leaping more than two share points since February on the coattails of the Kansas City Royals baseball team. 610’s 4.1 share and 309,700 listener cume for April gives it a sizable lead over rival … Continue reading
Hearne: Somebody Else’s TV Icon Goes Bye-Bye
Ah, the road not traveled… Ever since I had a choice in the matter I’ve mostly taken a pass on mainstream television. I can vaguely remember watching the final episode of Cheers on May 20, 1993, for example (I looked it … Continue reading
Hearne: ‘Duke’s on Grand’ Sodomy Story Keeps Getting Tawdrier
Alleged dirtbag Dennis Skeen grinned sheepishly as he was lead from the courtroom yesterday in an orange jumpsuit and chains… I know because I was sitting in the front row right next to Skeen’s wife Michelle who glared as he passed but a few feet in front of us. … Continue reading
Hearne: The Move from Heck is O-V-E-R
Sorry about that, gang… However I just undertook a ridiculously difficult move – all of like four miles – to new digs here in Lawrence. And while that’s an infinitesimally small step for mankind, it was a gigantic pain in the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Craig Glazer, Dany Drive, Hearne Christopher Jr., Hutton Farms West, Matt Donnelly
4 Comments
Hearne: The Second Coming of Joe Posnanski?
Talk about too much of a good thing… Now that the Kansas City Royals are requiring locals to pay much closer attention, I find myself perusing their game stories in the Kansas City Star far more often. Which generally entails reading what beat … Continue reading
Hearne: Skeen & Wife Wanted to Buy ‘Duke’s on Grand’
Saturday’s downtown sports bar rape story just keeps getting weirder… For starters, turns out alleged rapist Dennis Skeen is married. Add to that, sources say that Skeen and his wife Michelle have been trying to buy Duke’s on Grand, the downtown bar … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Cumulus Kansas City, Dennis Skeen, Jersey Dogs, Jim Ready, Kansas City Star, Mary Sanchez, Michelle Skeen
10 Comments
Hearne: Boonville a Vacation Destination, Seriously?
Boonville, Missouri a vacation destination? No way, trust me – I’ve vacationed there (if you wanna call it that) – more than once even. Yet here comes Smithsonian Magazine positioning Boonville up there alongside legit small town getaways like Nantucket, Massachusetts, Stuart, Florida, … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
Tagged Bess Lovejoy, Booneville, Death Salon, Missouri, Sara Evans, Smithsonian Magazine, The Order of Good Death
16 Comments
Hearne: There’s Lots More to the ‘Dukes on Grand’ Rape Story
There’s almost always more to the story than what you get in newspaper and TV news…. Take the young woman who passed out Saturday and allegedly was molested by skeezy downtown restaurateur Dennis Skeen. Buried in the loosely-but-widely reported particulars of the story were … Continue reading
Hearne: Anatomy of a Precipitous Sales Slide & The Star
Here’s why the economy has nothing to do with the steep slide at the Kansas City Star… The Greater Kansas City area – the whole shebang, not just the Omaha-sized part – is home to more than 90 new automobile dealerships. That’s a ton … Continue reading
Hearne: Editor Sees KU Football Team 0-12 in 2015
What a difference a year makes… One year ago Lawrence Journal World sports editor and columnist Tom Keegan preached a doctrine of faith to the KU football faithful: Don’t be so gol dang negative. Look at the cup half full – have some faith in the … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
Tagged Charlie Weis, David Beaty, Kansas City Royals, KU football, Roy Williams, Tom Keegan
5 Comments
Hearne: ‘99.7 The Point’ Powers It’s Way to Numero Uno
There’s a new top gun in town… Three years in and 99.7 The Point (the radio station formerly known as KY) has clawed it’s way to the top of the ratings heap in listeners 12 and older, Monday through Sunday, … Continue reading
Hearne: Showdown Between Lazlo / Glazer Leads to Entercom Building Ban
What goes around comes around… A long running grudge by 96.5 The Buzz afternoon drive host Lazlo – aka program director Scott Geiger – against Stanford’s owner Craig Glazer erupted last week and has resulted in Glazer being banned from Entercom offices. The details … Continue reading
Hearne: Is ‘One & Done’ Killing College Basketball?
Maybe I’m just too easily bored… Then again, while it’s been years since I felt strongly about college basketball, this one and done stuff where high school players play a single season of college ball before going to the NBA is getting … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
Tagged Bill Self, Jayhawks, Kentucky Wildcats, KU, Wichita State
13 Comments
Hearne: The Rolling Stones’ Septuagenarian Rocker Ripoff @ Arrowhead
Ever heard the expression, don’t trust anyone over 30? How about 70? Best I can tell the phrase was first uttered by a free speech movement dude in 1965 at a time free speech was a somewhat rare commodity. And during the time period when that … Continue reading
Posted in Hearne_Christopher
Tagged Arrowhead Stadium, Bob Lefsetz, MickJagger, Rolling Stones
37 Comments
